I Know How You Feel
by MoonlightSpirit
Summary: After seeing the play, Katara's mind is racing with so many things. She thinks of the talk she and Aang had and the guilty feeling in her stomach. Katara finds a friend in Zuko, who knows how she feels.


**I just saw **_**The Ember Island Players **_**and may I just say it was funny, dramatic and just plain AWESOME! So this was inspired by Katara and Aang's little talk on the balcony (or whatever that thing was). So here's **_**I Know How You Feel. **_**It's my first attempt at a Zutara friendship fic, so tell me what you think.**

_**PLEASE READ THIS:**_ **Just something to think about. Remember Toph said the play was the painful truth. So is the painful truth for Aang the fact that Katara likes Zuko? Not him? Just a thought**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

When the Gaang finally got back to Zuko's summer house after the play, everyone immediately went to bed, too tired and upset to say anything. Katara lay face up in her bed, thinking over the talk she and Aang had on the balcony. He stomach kept twisting in guilt about what she had said. She didn't mean to hurt Aang, but she was just to confused right now with the war and the comet coming so quickly and other things.

Knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep anytime soon, Katara crept out of her room and tiptoed to the living room, careful not to make any noises that would wake someone. She jumped however, when she saw someone was already in the living room. The person turned around at the noise she had made and she recognized him as Zuko.

"What are you doing here?" Katara asked.

"Couldn't sleep," Zuko said, "You?"

"I couldn't sleep either," Katara said. There was silence for a moment.

"Do you...want to sit down?" Zuko asked, moving over on the couch he was sitting on. Katara nodded and sat next to him, keeping as much distance between her and him as possible.

"So, what kept you up?" Katara asked Zuko

"The play," Zuko answered, "It was painful to watch."

"It was pretty bad," Katara said, "Really bad actually."

"Not just that," Zuko said quietly, "All my mistakes. All the bad decisions I made. That play just took it and threw it right back in my face."

"But your not like that anymore," Katara said, placing a hand on Zuko's shoulder, "You redeemed yourself."

"I know," Zuko said, "I jut feel so..."

"Guilty," Katara finished for him.

"Yeah," Zuko said, "How did you know?"

"I feel the same way," Katara said, "Guilty."

"Why?" Zuko said, "You didn't do anything bad. You may get a bit overemotional..."

"Am not," Katara said with a small smile, punching Zuko's arm playfully. Zuko chucked.

"So, what's making you feel guilty?" Zuko asked. Katara looked down at her hands, her smile fading.

"It's...complicated," she said.

"You know talking about things will make you feel better," Zuko said. Katara lips twitched up into a smile.

"You sound like my mother," she said, "Do you really want to know what happened?"

"As long as you don't get all hysterical girl on me," Zuko said. Katara sighed. Somehow, she felt like she could tell Zuko this.

"Remember when I went to look for Aang?" she said, still looking at her hands.

"Yeah," Zuko said.

"Well, we talked," Katara said, "About somethings that happened and somethings that he thought would happen. He thought me and him would be together because we kissed before the first invasion. The thing is, things are too complicated now. I tried to tell him this and he kissed me." Katara groaned, holding her head in her hands, "I was kinda angry at him. I tell him I'm confused and he just kisses me."

"Sounds like my ex-girlfriend Mai," Zuko says.

"Your ex-girlfriend acts like a twelve year old boy?" Katara asked, looking up at Zuko with a raised eyebrows.

"No," Zuko said, "But whenever I tried to open up to her and tell her what I feel, all my feelings and conflicts, she would kiss me as if that would make everything better. But it doesn't. Sometimes, you just need someone to listen to you."

"Exactly," Katara said, "But I feel so guilty. I didn't mean to hurt him. It's just that things are too complicated now."

"Do you like another guy?" Zuko asked. Katara looked at him with wide eyes.

"Of- Of course not," she said, "What makes you think that?" Zuko shrugged.

"Azula once told me that when a girl tells a boy things are complicated, that means she likes another guy," Zuko said, "Although maybe it's not the brightest idea to listen to what Azula tells me." Katara nodded in agreement. Silence fell over them again.

"I think that play may of upset him too," Zuko said, "You know, the scene. In the Crystal Catacombs. With us in it."

"Yeah," Katara said, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. She glanced over at Zuko and the words of her character to Zuko's character in the play ran through her mind.

_I've always found you very attractive._

Zuko was attractive. He had beautiful narrow gold eyes, soft looking longish black hair.His scar added a touch of mystery to him. His lips were thin and he had a slightly narrow nose and pointed chin, like his father. But Zuko's features were much softer than his fathers. Her characters words about Aang decided to sneak into her mind again.

_He's like a little brother to me._

Was this true? Was Aang like a little brother to her? Is that why she was so fidgety when he told her he'd thought they'd be together? Aang was sorta like a brother to her. She always saw him as a brother. But did she see him as more than a friend?

_Not really, _was the heart wrenching truth. Katara didn't see Aang as more than a friend.

"Katara, you're crying," Zuko said. Katara raised a hand to her cheek and it came back wet.

"I didn't even notice," she said, "Sorry. I must really seem like that overemotional character the Ember Island Players portrayed me as."

"Not really," Zuko said, "You're much stronger than that character." Katara smiled at him.

"Thanks," she said. Silence fell again.

"Well, I better get to bed," Katara said. Then, to Zuko's surprise, she leaned over and placed a light kiss on his cheek.

"Goodnight Zuko," she said, standing up and leaving the room.

"Goodnight," he replied, his hand reaching up to touch the cheek Katara kissed, where he could still feel Katara's soft lips there.

**Okay, so a bit of Zutara rimance sneaked it's way into the end story. But overall, it was just friendship. How was it? Please Review!**


End file.
